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in the river Jordan, and Chrift, when baptized, coming up out of the water, are not demonftrative proofs of plunging, yet they are at leaft ftrong prefump-, tive ones, and fuch as I challenge him to produce the like, in favour of this ordinance being adminiftered to Chrift, by washing with water, either by pouring or fprinkling. If plunging is not a neceffary inference from what is revealed concerning Chrift's baptifm, 1 am fure fprinkling or pouring of water can never be; and I will leave it to any impartial man of judgment, to use his own phrase, whether there is not a greater probability, to put it upon no other foot, of Chrift's being baptized by immerfion, when he went into the river fordan to be baptized, and accordingly was baptized there by John, than there is of his being baptized in that river only by an affufion or fprinkling of water upon him: So that he has but little reason, with that air of affurance, and in that dogmatical way, to fay, "that John baptized in Jordan is true, but he never dipped nor plunged any "in his life;" as he does in p. 10. And here I cannot forbear mentioning a paffage of thofe excellent divines, John Polyander, Andrew Rivet, Anthony Waleus, and Anthony Thyfius, who at the fame time that they are endeavouring to have the mode of baptifm, either by plunging or fprinkling, accounted an indifferent thing, acknowledge this inftance of Chrift's baptifm to be an example of plunging. Their words are thefe, "Whether baptifm is to be administered. by a fingle or a trine immerfion, was always judged a thing indifferent in the "christian church; as alfo whether plunging or sprinkling is to be used, seeing "no express command is extant concerning it; and examples of fprinkling as "well as of plunging may be found in fcripture; for as in Matt. ii. Chrift went "into the water, and came out of it, as alfo the Ethiopian, Acts viii. So, many "thousands are faid to be baptized in one day, in the city of Jerufalem, A&ts ii.

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Likewife many in private houses, As xvi. and xviii. 1 Cor. i. 16. where fuch "a going into water was fcarcely poffible :" Which, by the way, is a mistake in those great men, for none of the texts alledged, though they prove a baptifin of whole housholds, yet they do not prove that it was administered in their houses; for most of them plainly fhew, that this was performed before the apostles entrance into them; and if it had been done there, it would be no proof or evidence that it was done by fprinkling, feeing proper accommodations to baptize by immerfion might be had, even in a house: Though there is no reason, as I have VOL. II. hinted,

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a An vero una, an trina merfione fit baptizandum, indifferens femper judicatum fuit in ecclefia chriftiana; quemadmodum etiam an immersione an vero adfperfione utendum, cum illius expreffum · mandatum nullum extet; & exempla adsperfionis non minus quam immerfionis in fcripturis poffint deprehendi, ficuti enim Matt. 3. Chriftus in aquam ingreffus, & ex ea egreffus eft, & Ethiops. Aa. 8. Sic multa millia uno die in ipfa urbe Jerufalem dicuntur fuiffe baptizata, Act. 2. item multi in domibus privatis, 48, 16, & 18. 1 Cor. i. 16. ubi egreffus ejufmodi in aquas vix effe potuit. Synop Pur. Theolog. Difp. 44. Thef. 19.

hinted, to fuppofe it was done there; all that I produced this paffage for, is to fhow, that though thofe valuable writers were fond of thefe inftances, as evidences of fprinkling; yet they could not but acknowledge, that the baptifm of Chrift, and of the Eunuch, were examples of plunging. But to return: I defire, when our author infinuates, that Chrift's being plunged by John in the river Jordan, when he was baptized by him, is a human conjecture, which he is not willing to build his faith upon; I defire, I fay, that he would confider whether his fuppofitions that Chrift went ankle or knee deep into the water, and was baptized by pouring or sprinkling water upon him, and that the multitudes baptized by John in Jordan, went down fome little way into the water, from whence, being baptized, without any fuch thing as ftripping, and shifting, and plunging, as his words are," they ftraightway came up, and went about their business," are not human conjectures; and whether, feeing things are fo, he may not be justly numbered among those who build their faith upon human conjectures, which he feems to be refolved against. And if nothing but conjectures can be formed from Christ's baptifm, concerning the mode of it, I perfuade myfelf, that to every thinking and unprejudiced person, the conjecture, if it must be called so, of Chrift's being plunged, when baptized, will appear more probable, and much preferable to that of his having water poured or sprinkled on him. As for his rejecting the observation which some have made on Mark i. 9. and saying, that it might as well be let alone, I do not much wonder at it, it no ways agreeing with his notion of baptifm. The obfervation is this, that whereas it is faid in Mark i. 9. that Jefus was baptized of John in Jordan, it might have been rendered as Tor Ieparer, into Jordan, as the prepofition is frequently tranflated. Now to fay, that he was poured or fprinkled of John into Jordan, would want sense, but to fay, that he was plunged or dipped into Jordan, runs very smooth, and is very good fenfe; for a perfon cannot be faid to be baptized, or dipped in a river, without being baptized or dipped into it; and indeed this is the meaning of all those scriptures which fpeak of John's baptizing in Jordan, as Matt. iii. 6. Mark i. 5. And whereas he says, that the Holy Ghost intends by it a baptizing in Fordan; he ought to obferve, that this cannot be without a baptizing into it; to which, I fuppofe, he will readily reply, that this is taking for granted that the word properly fignifies to dip or plunge; and he may take it for granted that we will do fo, until he, or fomebody elfe, can give us an inftance where the word is otherways used; which I believe he, and greater masters of the Greek tongue than himself, will never be able to do. But,

3. Mr B. W. not only reprefents plunging, as urged from Chrift's baptifm, to be a mere non fequitur, and an human conjecture, but also attended with nonfenfe, and very grofs abfurdities; as when he fays, p. 9. "By the fame way

"of

"of reasoning, you may as well perfuade an impartial man of judgment, that "Chrift is under water ftill, because it is faid, that he went into the place where

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John at first baptized, and there he abode, John x. 40." As if Chrift's going to Bethabara, a place where John had formerly baptized, and Christ had dwelt in, was a parallel cafe to his going down into the river Jordan, to be baptized by John there. But I am perfuaded, that the very mention of this, without making any further remarks upon it, will much more expofe our author to the scorn and contempt of every impartial man of judgment, than our way of reasoning, for plunging, from Chrift's baptifm, ever will do us. He goes on in a trifling manner, to fhew how weak and ridiculous our method of arguing from John's baptifm is," they were baptized in Jordan, fays he; therefore they were plunged "over head and ears;" which he fancies is as abfurd, and as inconfequential, "as if one should say, the staff stands in the corner, therefore it rains; or be"caufe, fays he, it is faid that John baptized in the wilderness, therefore in baptizing he thrust the people into thorns and briars." What he means by all this ludicrous ftuff I cannot tell, unless it be to banter the ordinance of water-baptism in general, and so join forces with the Quakers, utterly to explode it; for what he seems here to direct against the mode of baptizing by immerfion, may be retorted upon any other, and particularly his own; thus, they were baptized in Jordan, therefore they went ankle or knee deep into it, and had water poured or fprinkled on them; which is equally as filly and ridiculous, as if one should fay, "the ftaff ftands in the corner, therefore it rains;" or because it is faid, that John baptized in the wilderness, therefore in baptizing, he put the people knee deep into thorns and briars, and fcratched their faces with them. But away with fuch ridiculous impertinencies as these. Could not the man diftinguish between the place where John was preaching the doctrine of baptism unto repentance, and the place where he was administering the ordinance of it, the one being in the wilderness, and the other in the river Jordan, as he might have been informed, if he had more diligently confulted the text he has reference to, in Mark i. 4, 5. But what he fancies will most affect us, is, that John is faid to baptize with water now fays our author, if "baptizing and plunging fignify the fame thing, then John might have faid, I plunge you "indeed with water;" all perfons, adds our author, but thofe of your judgment, "would readily conclude, that fuch an expreffion wanted fenfe;" that is, because he looks upon us plungers, as he is pleased to call us, no doubt, as perfons exceeding illiterate, and who are altogether unacquainted with language; whilst he, and those of his persuasion, must be confidered as the only men of sense and learning; but if this penetrating man, this man of fenfe, can tell us, how a person can be plunged in water, without being plunged with it, what a prodigious

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prodigious discovery would he make to the world! and if it would want fenfe to read the words, "I plunge you indeed with water; " then pray let them be read, I plunge you indeed in water, and I hope they will not want fense then; aye, but, fays Mr B. W. John tells us himself, that he baptized them with water; and, fays he, left plungers fhould not observe this, all the four evangelifts take notice of it," Matt. iii. 11. Mark i. 8. Luke iii. 16. John i. 26. I confefs I have confulted all thofe texts, and find the words to be read thus, I indeed baptize you, en van, in water, only in Luke iii. 16. the preposition & is omitted, which fome, as Pafor and Schmidius think, in the other texts, is an Hebraism, or an Attic pleonafin, and then the fenfe and reading will be, either way, the fame as what I have given; but then here is another prodigious abfurdity behind, which thofe of a different perfuafion from us think we are inevitably thrown into by this reading, and that is, that then we must be obliged to read the other part of the text thus, he fhall baptize you in the holy Ghost and in fire; and this our author feems to have regard unto, when he fays, "It is impoffible "that any impartial man of judgment can so much as imagine, that by being "baptized with the holy Ghoft, a being plunged in the holy Ghost should be "understood; for the Lord himself tells us, that by baptizing he means "pouring," for the proof of which, he mentions Ifai. xliv. 3. and Als x. 44. That the donation of the Spirit is fometimes expreffed by pouring, fometimes by fprinkling, I frankly own; but this which John has reference to, is the extraordinary donation of the Spirit on the day of pentecoft, as is manifeft from Als i. 5. and therefore another word is made ufe of, as being more expressive of the glory and greatnefs of that difpenfation; and when we confider the account that is given of it, by the infpired writer, as that there came a found from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the house where they were fitting; and that cloven tongues, like as of fire, fat upon each of them; and that they were all filled with the holy Ghoft; it will not feem fo very ftrange, incongruous, and disagreeable to fay, that they were as if they had been dipped or plunged all over therein. I am perfuaded our author will acknowledge the learned Cafaubon to be an impartial man of judgment,' and yet he speaks of, and explains this affair much in the fame language. His words are thefe, with which I shall conclude this chapter: "Although, fays he, I do not difapprove of the word baptizare being retained here, that the antithefis may be full, yet I am of opi

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"nion,

Etfi non improbo ut hic quoque retineatur verbum baptizare quo plena fit n arridos, tamen habendam hoc loco propriæ fignificationis rationem cenfeo, Barrier enim tanquam ad tingendum mergere eft. Atque hoc fenfu vere dicuntur apoftoli Baliva. Domus enim in qua hoc peractum eft, Spiritu fanéto fuit repleta, ita ut in eam tanquam in xoxer quandam apoftoli demerfi fuisse videantur. Cafaub. in A&t. i. 5.

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"nion, that a regard is had in this place to its proper fignification, for Balle is to immerfe, fo as to tinge or dip, and in this fenfe the apoftles are truly "faid to be baptized, for the houfe in which this was done, was filled with "the holy Ghoft, fo that the apoftles feemed to be plunged into it as into a "fish-pool." And in the fame way, their being baptized or dipped in fire, may be accounted for, that being expreffive of the fame thing, unless our author fhould think, that this is ftill a much more improper way of speaking, but among the best Greek authors, we have this phrafe of dipping in fire made ufe of, and particularly in Mofchus.

CHA P. III.

The Second argument in favour of baptifm by immerfion, taken from the place John chofe to baptize in, and the reafon of that choice, John iii. 23. with the weak replies, and foolish shifts and evaficns which Mr B. W. makes thereunto, confidered.

MR
R B. W. next introduces his friend Mr P. in p. 11, 12. arguing for immer-
fion, from those words in John iii. 26. And John alfo was baptizing in Enon,
near to Salim, because there was much water there, after this manner; namely,
John was baptizing in Enon, because there was much water there; therefore
"all that were baptized were overwhelmed with water. They were dipped,

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they were plunged, because there was much water there." But this argument is not very fairly reprefented; for we do not argue merely from there. being much water there, that they were dipped or plunged, but from their being baptized in a place of much water, and which was chose for that very reason. We know that there may be much water where no perfon is dipped or plunged into it; but that any perfon fhould be baptized in a place of much water, without being dipped or plunged into it, is what we deny. Moreover the reafonableness of concluding that baptifm, in thofe times, was performed by immerfion, we think may be fairly argued from John's choofing of, and baptizing in a place where there was much water, and we believe it will appear so to every thinking and unprejudiced perfon; but let us confider what Mr B. W. has to reply. And,

ift, To fhew his learning and skill in chorography, he inquires what Enon was, whether it was a river or no, and seems to call in queftion its being fo, and therefore tells us, p. 13. That fuch a river cannot be found in the best accounts we have of the

• Idyll. 1. Μητι θίγης πλανα δώρα, ταγαρ πυρι παντα βεβαπλαι

land

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